Hyper Dash to better health

What many of todays kids are lacking is the opportunities to play spontaneously. Hyper Dash may fill the void for those who don't know how to play or for those looking for a different challenge. More to come

jOG to game by New Concept Gaming

Imagine your game character only moving when you do....with the jOG from New Concept Gaming (NCG), this is now possible Using the jOG device that is clipped to your belt (wire attached to belt unit and plugs into PS2), if your device is not detecting movement your game character will not move in any direction. The solution...jog in place. I hope they are working on a wireless version and one that works with the many wireless controllers including dual-shock, six-axis, etc. It looks likes they also have a working jOG prototype for the Wii. Orders are being placed in the UK for £14.99, no news about North American release dates or prices.

Wii Sqweeze

Demo'd by Greg Merril, CEO of InterAction Laboratories, Inc. at the GFH 2008, the Wii Sqweeze brings exergaming to the upperbody in the form of near-isometric movements The rubber handles allow for shoulder abduction and adduction (Max Range of Motion-ROM ~2-3 inches). On the device I tried, they hacked the Wii and were running it via USB on a PC. However, I'm told that it will be a fully operational Wii controller by its 2009 launch. To start playing the demo-games IA Labs designed, each player self-calibrates the device by squeezing 50% of your maximum. Game 1 (Bowhunt - Bow action shooter) and Game 2 (Bopple = Ball crushing game).

[Photo thanks to Ernie and screenshot IA Labs & Garth DeAngelis]

"Wii"ll you buy Motion Plus?

Nintendo announced at E3 2008 the Wii MotionPlus, a plug-in accessory for the Wii-mote. Blogger and people attending the E3 still don't know if it the MotionPlus blocks the nunchuck port and how much more senstitive the add-on will make the Wii-mote. The press release says it has 1:1 sensitivity and will make games with fine movements easier to play....even light saber fights!

Nintendo's upcoming Wii MotionPlus accessory for the revolutionary Wii Remote controller again redefines game control, by more quickly and accurately reflecting motions in a 3-D space. The Wii MotionPlus accessory attaches to the end of the Wii Remote and, combined with the accelerometer and the sensor bar, allows for more comprehensive tracking of a player’s arm position and orientation, providing players with an unmatched level of precision and immersion. Every slight movement players make with their wrist or arm is rendered identically in real time on the screen, providing a true 1:1 response in their game play. The Wii MotionPlus accessory reconfirms Nintendo’s commitment to making games intuitive and accessible for everyone. Nintendo will reveal more details about the Wii MotionPlus accessory and other topics Tuesday morning at its E3 media briefing.

[Via Gizmodo]

Bang a Gong! Ion Drum Rocker Kit for RB - Gamer to Drummer

For those about to rock, we salute you with a new drum kit from Ion. For all of us drummer-gods in waiting, playing the Rockband drum kit is good...but not quite good enough. With this new Drum Rocker kit from Ion for Rockband and RB2, you can unplug it from your console and plug it into a drum brain and use it to play and record for real. Bang a Gong for $300! The line starts here!

[Via ScoreHero and Ion and Engadget]

Exerbike

Exergame Fitness just released their Exerbike in collaboration with Hoggan Health. According to their press release, the newly stylized bike with hidden cables and easy to mount/dismount design uses magnetic resistance technology is somewhat reminiscent of the older MOG bike marketed a few years ago. However, I don't see the 3 points of vibrations and hydraulics to mimic in-game movement/actions.